Brian, one seemingly viable alternative to going the full distance toward
putting a Final Four in a "nontraditional" area to generate interest could
be to use a holiday tournament like the EverBlades in Florida.  However, I
think that would be ineffective in the areas that are most conducive to
development because it's unlikely you'd find sponsoring schools interested
in those areas and scheduling imported teams during the busy holiday period
isn't likely to grab  the local crowd's attention.

The national championship weekend is a different animal that comes to town
with its own built-in clout and demands attention.  I think the combined
benefits of expanding college hockey's area of interest and bringing the
sport to alumni who have just as much right to have it brought to them as
the alumni who parked themselves next door to the campus upon graduation
more than justify picking a nontraditional site EVERY FEW YEARS, . . . where
that can be done successfully.

BTW, using Omaha as an example, that would NOT be a nontraditional site
you'd target to promote college hockey.  The area already has all the
interest it needs.  Omaha is a viable option as a traditional site with
enough to offer attendees to make them glad they came.

Another point, continuing the example of Dallas.  Whether or not you create
a new college hockey program in the nontraditional area isn't the only
measure of success.  An area with a growing supply of potential players is
going to supply them to something.  It can supply them to existing college
programs if that interest is generated or it can supply them to major junior
leages if that's who gets the foot in the regional door.  College hockey can
perceptively cultivate interest or it can watch the grass grow under its
feet.  I think the arguments for letting the grass grow are mostly coming
from folks who just don't want to lose the luxury of having all the benefits
in their own backyard.  I don't think that's a good reason.

boB



Brian Wilantowicz wrote:

> I am glad to see that interest in hockey is growing in communities like
> Dallas-Fort Worth though it remains to be seen whether there would be
> support for college hockey programs there.  I suppose there is a good
> chance the community would stand behind any new college hockey programs
> as there has been such a wave of interest at the high school level.  I
> have never been to Dallas and I was not making a strict comparison to
> New York.  I was merely demonstrating that a city's support for it's NHL
> franchise does not always translate into support for college hockey.  If
> we are lucky, D1 college hockey programs will sprout up in places like
> Dallas.  (Bob wouldn't it be great to not have to travel 1300+ miles to
> see a game...you must be a die hard fan!)
>
> But i'm not sure I support having the Frozen Four in one of these areas
> "just" to generate interest.  I don't think they would do this for other
> sports. My opinion has nothing to do with not wanting to "break the
> mold".  I am OK with taking a risk on what could be a "worthy cause".
> It is also not a matter of "hell freezing over" before I attend a Frozen
> Four held in  a "non-college hockey community."  I just feel that
> college hockey fans and, to a greater extent, the NCAA should embrace
> those communities that already do support college hockey.  I believe
> that interest could (and should) be generated and guaged in "non-college
> hockey communities" by proper marketing and with local/regional/national
> television or radio broadcasting.
>
> As for giving college hockey communities the opportunity to show that
> they ardently support college hockey....Well, for example, most college
> hockey fans know that college hockey is popular in cities like Boston.
> I'm sure relatively few fans have traveled to places like Omaha or
> Alabama-Huntsville to see a game.  Prior to going to Omaha in 2000 I had
> no idea there was so much support for UNO and college hockey there.  It
> was exciting to see.  Having a Frozen Four in a place like Omaha would
> give that city the opportunity to showcase it's enthusiasm for college
> hockey.   Same holds true for other "lesser known" college hockey
> communities.  Obviously logistics and infrastructure would factor
> greatly in getting a major college tournament in these places.
>
> Brian